I'm sure you're all been on tenterhooks, pins and needles or just plain curious about how the Barbecue Spaghetti came out (see previous post). Based on my own expert opinion (Pam still hasn't tried it), I would give it a solid 8 on a scale of 1-10. Honestly, the pulled pork blendly nicely with the angel hair pasta and spicy marinara sauce. It was very tasty indeed.

Would I make it again? Absolutely. If you decide to give it a try, send me a nolte. If I ever appear on "Beat Bobby Flay," this just may be my signature dish!

Well kids, this is it. The big kahuna of football games, the Super Bowl. 

Over the past two weeks, the National Football League, TV and cable shows and Madison Avenue have squeezed every last drop of promotional hype they possibly can from the game, analyzing and dissecting every player, coach and official, down to their shirt size.

Me? I'm borderline ho-hum. My team didn't make it, so per tradition, I'll probably root for the underdog. In this case, the Bengals.

But football aside, a major part of the hoopla are the parties and get-togethers, where food takes centerstage. With the pandemic still in effect, that's not happening here. But it doesn't stop me from whipping up something special for the Big Game.

This year I'm going full-on gonzo. No wings, no dips, no chips, no pigs snuggled in blankets. Nope --I'm going for the full monty (foodwise) and making... are you ready? ... Barbecue Spaghetti.

Maybe it does border on oxymoronic, but hey, it combines two of my favorite things: BBQ and pasta. 

The idea stems from a recipe I ran across on the web headlined, "BBQ Spaghetti: A True Memphis Original." According to the author, Robert Moss, it was invented by a former railroad cook named Brady Vincent, and remains a Memphis favorite.

Preparation couldn't be easier. You simply combine pasta sauce, barbeque sauce and pulled pork. Let that cook and add the spaghetti. Voila!

Despite my enthusiasm, Pam is skeptical. So are our friends. But ye of little faith, I think you'll change your minds once you give it a taste. 

So stick around. I'll post an update and reveal the results. It just could be more interesting than the game. 

In these trying times, our elected leaders have plenty to concern themselves with. And among those weighty issues -- at least in Florida -- is what will be named the official state dessert. No, really.

Since 2006, the official State Dessert of Florida is Key Lime Pie. Now Senator Danny Burgess, who represents the heart of the strawberry growing region, has introduced a bill to recognize Strawberry Shortcake as the new official dessert of the Sunshine State.

As you might expect, the folks in Key West haven't taken this affront kindly, and a group known as the Conch Republic  Key Lime Council has created a Change.org petition to keep key lime pie as the official state dessert.

Quoting from the petition:

"WHEREAS: Key Lime Pie is a native Floridian dessert that originated in the Florida Keys, and Strawberry Shortcake is a non-native dessert that originated in Europe.

"WHEREAS: Key Lime Pie was designated the Official State Pie of Florida in 2006 and has served proudly as the de facto State Dessert for 16 years, and Strawberry Shortcake has never received a state designation."

For me, it's a no-brainer. While I enjoy them both, Key Lime Pie is way more Florida than Strawberry Shortcake. In Pam's "Gigi in the 561" podcast, she entertains a possible solution: Instead of designating one dessert, have an official pie as well as an official cake.

Whatever, can we just get on with the really important stuff, like whether Tampa should rename their football stadium after Tom Brady? I can already see the petitions that would bring out.